On Tap: Bikes, Inspirational People, and Charitable Beer

March 4, 2011 9:14 pm

“Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.” — Christopher Reeve Last fall, I was fortunate enough to attend the Social Suds event at FINNEGANS Headquarters. Social Suds is a FINNEGANS-sponsored meeting of the socially conscious entrepreneurial minds in the Twin Cities. Those folks […]

“Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.”— Christopher Reeve

Last fall, I was fortunate enough to attend the Social Suds event at FINNEGANS Headquarters. Social Suds is a FINNEGANS-sponsored meeting of the socially conscious entrepreneurial minds in the Twin Cities. Those folks gather to exchange ideas in a casual setting designed to create connections, partnerships, and new approaches to solving social issues in our communities. It was an eye opening experience and I felt like I was starting to push out of my “shallow end,” albeit ever so slightly.

One of the things that really impressed me was listening to how these leaders creatively take aim at making such a positive social impact. One conversation in particular has really stuck with me ever since Social Suds.

Matt Tennant, who runs the Full Cycle organization in Minneapolis, described Full Cycle’s mission in casual conversation. Matt explained how it provides homeless and at-risk youth with access to free and healthy transportation (bikes), employment opportunities (fixing bikes) and connections to other essential resources. I thought that was a pretty cool combination! Full Cycle is one of the many great organizations responding to the growing homeless population in Minnesota, of which 47 percent are 21 and under. The evening was a culmination of bikes, inspirational people, and charitable beer!

Matt and Full Cycle left the “shallow end” behind long ago with a creative and effective approach to homelessness; they have also been previously recognized as a FINNEGANS Community Fund recipient.

You might also want to check out their compelling “Break the Cycle” video: